Klin Farmakol Farm. 2026;40(2):102-107 | DOI: 10.36290/far.2026.022

Inclusivity in clinical trials: barriers and their potentional solutions

Hana Kocourková¹, Jitka Rychlíčková^{1, 2}

¹ Farmakologický ústav, Lékařská fakulta, Masarykova univerzita, Brno

² Fakultní nemocnice u sv. Anny v Brně

Inclusivity in clinical research is an important prerequisite for obtaining relevant results applicable to routine clinical practice. Clinical research should therefore include partici­pants who accurately represent the target population across a range of characteristics. However, certain patient groups remain under-represented in clinical trials. The so called under-served populations often include older adults, ethnic minorities, patients with multiple comorbidities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals. Their limited participation may be due to methodological and organizational barriers inherent in the study design. This review article addresses the topic of under-served populations in clinical trials. It identifies the main barriers to the inclusion of these populations, and sumarizes approaches that can contribute to increasing inclusivity in clinical research in general.

Keywords: inclusivity, diversity, clinical research, underserved populations, trial methodology.

Received: March 25, 2026; Revised: June 3, 2026; Accepted: June 3, 2026; Published: July 1, 2026  Show citation